A Longitudinal Study of School Identity and Academic Motivation across High School

PWP-CCPR-2010-031

Abstract

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine how school identity changes over the four years of high school, and how it is associated with academic achievement and motivation. Students from Latin-American, Asian, and European backgrounds participated (N = 572; age span = 13.94 to 19.15 years). In ninth grade, girls’ school identity was higher than boys’. Over the course of high school, however, girls’ school identity declined, whereas boys’ remained stable. Within-person longitudinal analyses indicated years in which students had higher school identity were also years in which they felt that school was more enjoyable and more useful, above and beyond their actual level of achievement in school. Results highlight the importance of identification with educational institutions for maintaining students' academic engagement during the teenage years.